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Donmar Warehouse’s ‘Hamlet’ Coming to Broadway With Jude Law

By Dave Itzkoff June 30, 2009 11:55 amJune 30, 2009 11:55 am

Johan PerssonJude Law in the Donmar Warehouse production of “Hamlet.”

That collective “oooh” you just heard from Broadway is the sound of theatergoers whose solid (or sullied) flesh has melted and resolved itself into a dew after learning that Jude Law is headed their way. Mr. Law, the “Cold Mountain” and “Talented Mr. Ripley” star, will play the title character in a Broadway production of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” that is transferring from the Donmar Warehouse in London. In a news release Tuesday, publicists for the Broadway run of “Hamlet” said that the play would be directed by the Donmar Warehouse’s artistic director, Michael Grandage (Broadway’s “Frost/Nixon”), and would run for twelve weeks at the Broadhurst Theater. Previews are scheduled to begin on Sept. 12 and an official opening is slated for Oct. 6. Additional actors from the Donmar Theater company are expected to join the “Hamlet” cast, and a production of the play is planned at Elsinore Castle in Denmark from Aug. 25 through 30.

Between this, the upcoming TV production with David Tennant and Patrick Stewart, the National Theatre’s scheduled HD ALL’S WELL (as a follow-up to PHEDRE) there is some Shakespeare to look forward to.

In the meantime, John Barton’s remarkable PLAYING SHAKESPEARE series has been released on DVD, and I’m having a swell time revisiting that. (It features a younger Patrick Stewart, who looks pretty much like today’s Patrick Stewart, actually.)

Wow! I actually first became aware of Jude Law when he first appeared on a B’way stage back in the ’90’s. He was only 21 years old and I can still remember him. I had never heard of him and would not hear of him again until he showed up in films a few years later.

I already ordered my ticket for September and I am flying from Los Angeles just to see Jude on Broadway. I was hoping to go to London initially but my plans changed so I am very happy that he is coming to Broadway.

I am ecstatic that Jude’s Hamlet is coming to Broadway! I was fervently hoping that it would come stateside after reading all the good buzz about it. Mine and my friends’ tickets arrived in the mail 2 days ago, and we are looking forward to October!

I can with all my heart say that it’s a “once-in-a-lifetime” performance, I and my best friend just watched it in London and we flew from Turkey just to see Jude Law live on stage, but we experienced something more than that. You see him there – body and soul – and the play leaves you speechless and in tears. A totally must-see!!!